One dead Raven ...

That's what Kelly Gregg would be if he got his wish to fight UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

I'm not knocking Gregg--a massive, quick, tough guy with a legit big-time wrestling background. If he applied the same determination to an MMA career that he did to his improbable rise in the NFL, he might become an outstanding fighter.

But it's time to stop thinking of the UFC as a novelty sport that simulates bar fights on pay-per-view. Top fighters, such as Lesnar, spend all day every day training at boxing, takedown defense, jiu jitsu and wrestling. The sport has become sophisticated enough that if a guy is weak in any of those areas, he will be exposed. It's not an activity for dilletantes.

It's funny that this story is coming up in relation to Lesnar, who learned that he could not parlay his awesome size, strength and speed into an instant NFL career with the Vikings. He hadn't put in hundreds of hours of work in college or NFL rookie camps, so he simply did not have the technique to compete against professionals. Even in MMA, where his background as an NCAA wrestling champ gave him a leg up, Lesnar had to train for two solid years to compete at a world-class level.

It's the same basic lesson Michael Jordan learned in baseball. The guys who do this stuff for a living have worked incredibly hard to get there.

So no, I do not think Kelly Gregg would fare well in a fight with Lesnar and his lunchbox-sized fists. What do you guys think?

Comments

Initially, I thought your blog was pure BS till I clicked on the hyperlink and read the subject article. I now realize that you were responding to Kelly Gregg's claims. In short, you are correct on every point.

That's not to take anything away from KG, I am a huge fan of everything he is about (seriously) and am ecstatic that he is a Raven!

I just think it is unwise and unrealistic of him to want a shot at the the "top dude" when he has not earned the right to even compete at that level...No doubt he could be formidable, with the necessary training and single-mindedness that is required to compete at that level. I'd be cheering for him but he would first have to hang up his cleats, which we all know isn't going to happen!

As a Ravens/KG fan, I am happy for that...Wishing you all the best on and off the field Kelly! Love your intensity and your passion!

“Grrrrrr” or “Buddy Lee,” as Kelly is affectionately known by his teammates, isn’t afraid of anyone or anything. When he visited me in San Diego in 1999, we ran into the Chargers’ stud running back, Natrone Means, and several of his teammates. As some of the guys walked by our table and said hello, Kelly asked if one of them was Means.

“Yes,” I told him — and the next thing I knew, Kelly was out of his chair chasing after Natrone and his party. He stood nose to nose with Natrone and said, “No disrespect, but when I get in the league, don’t run in my direction because you’ll end up on your back in the backfield, and you’ll be lucky to have a 25-yard game.”

“I’m not here to fight, just to make a statement to Mr. Means,” he said. “Now, if you want to fight, I will kick all your asses.” Natrone simply wished Kelly luck and moved on with his crew.

When I incredulously asked Kelly what he was thinking, he replied, “Jack, you don’t understand, but the only thing I know is to compete. It’s hard for me to sit still. I wish I could wrestle and play football 365 days of the year.”

I don't know many stories of pro athletes off the field, but this is easily the best story I've ever heard.

First off, Kelly Gregg would get destroyed by Brock Lesnar inside the octagon. Secondly, there is a caveat to this fight. In the UFC, there is a little thing called weight classes and divisions. The top weight a UFC Heavy Weight can be at weigh-ins is 265. This means that if Kelly Gregg is 315, he would need to cut 50 lbs to make weight. Brock Lesnar probably walks around normally at about 285-290. I think Brock would kill Kelly Gregg in a UFC fight with both of them at their normal size/weight, but if you factor in having to get down to 265, it's not even close. I Love Kelly Gregg as a football player, he hustles every play, he plays hard, and he's underrated but he sounds like he can be a borderline moron off the field at times. If what you read in this article is true (which I completely question), when Kelly Gregg said "I'm not here for a fight but I'll kick all of your @sses" they should have taught him a lesson. Also, running a guy down at a place and saying you'd be lucky to gain 25 yards rushing in a game against me is 100% disrespectful. I'm a huge ravens fan, but I don't like this type of behavior, it makes Gregg look like a punk and just because you're not afraid of someone doesn't mean that person can't kick your @ss.

Let Kelly and Brock have their fun. If Kelly wants to take a beating, hey who are we to stop him. I have no doubt that Kelly would put up a respectable showing, but he would be outclassed. You just have to love his enthusiasm though. I am glad he is one of our guys on Sunday.

I am please to inform you and ALL of your adorable children, that you eluvation and story is absolute junk and garbage. It is as entertaining and straight forward as the WWF or the same thing by any other name. That being so, it put your writings and dribble into that category. I am sure that you will enjoy your wonderful new toy mate.